by the death of Tippo, every hope might be entertained of the perfect eftablishment of the quiet of the country. This had in part been already obtained amongft fome of the most refractory, the fouthern poligars, who were now reported to be changed from an armed and lawless banditti to a peaceful and induftrious peafantry. He had upon a former occafion brought to the notice of the committee, that the improvement under the operation of the prefent fyftem, to the period of account then under confideration, was found to exceed eleven millions fterling; the alteration fince not having been to any great amount, the amelioration might, on the fame principle, be now taken at about the like fum. The additional capital muft, as then noticed, be taken into the account, and fome further adjustments would be required. If fuch had been the event, under the circumstances of two wars in India, and of a general European war from the year 1793, the inference was highly favourable to the mode of administration; and the more fo, when the great additional revenue, and the complete conqueft of every enemy in the Eaft, were taken into the account. The debts abroad were certainly much greater than at the firft period of this comparison: but the affets exhibited an excefs ftill more confiderable. If the lofs of the furplus revenue operated fo quickly in an unfavourable degree, the acquifition of revenue must be allowed to have an equal effect in the recovery of the system. The grand and leading features of this plan were: 1ft, An arrangement abroad; fo that a full million from the furplus of the revenues fhould, at the commencement, be applicable to the purchase of investments. 2dly, That the investments from India and China should amount at prime coft to four millions annually, in equal proportions. 3dly, That, during the first four years from this time, the company fhould avail themselves of the power they already had, under the act, for augmenting their capital stock to the extent of two millions, at the rate of half a million annually, which, it was fuppofed, would realize one million fterling. 4thly, That the additional money, fo raifed, fhould be applied exclufively to the liquidation of the prefent Indian debt at intereft, either by increafing remittances in bullion, or export to India to that amount, or by defraying additional bills drawn from India for the fame purpose. 5thly, That the extinction of this debt, now calculated to amount to fourteen millions fterling, fhould be carried on at the rate of one million annually, till the part of it termed the decennial loan fhould become payable, which was expected to take place on or about the year 1807-8, which was stated at 3,500,000l., and would be difcharged in that year: on which fuppofition the debts at interest abroad would then be reduced to 4,500,000l. at which amount it might be thought expedient to keep them ftationary. The gradual reductions of the debt would add to the furplus of the revenues by the diminution of the intereft; and, in the year 1808-9, the fum of two millions fterling might be applied to the investments. The application of the furplus, thus increasing from year to year, would of courfe leffen the demand of In dia upon the home treasury, fo that the balance of cafh could not fail of increafing to an immenfe amount. He had ftated the great difficulty to lie in the outfet; his estimate was fo calculated. He ended his labours by repofing the moft entire confidence in the talents and integrity of those whom his majetty had appointed to fucceed him in this important charge: and it only remained for him to apologise to the committee for engroffing fo much of its time; and that the refult of the examination of the statements might, as ufual, be placed on the records of of parliament, he had formed the motion into refolutions. On the refolutions being put, Mr. Luthington made fome inquiries refpecting the probable price of freight in time of peace, which produced a fhort converfation between him, Mr. Dundas, Mr. D. Scott, and fir Francis Baring; after which the refolutions were agreed to; and, upon the house being refumed, the report was ordered to be received. CHAP. III. Difcuffions on the War and the Conduct of Miniftry. Motion in the Ionfe of Lords for a Call of the Houfe. Motion in the Houfe of Commons for an Inquiry into the Failure of the Ferrol Expedition. Lord Darnley's Motion in the House of Lords for an Inquiry into the State of the NationMr. Grey's Motion to the fame Effect in the House of Commons, Motion in the House of Commons for an Inquiry into the Breach of the Treaty of El-Arifh. Motion for the Production of the Duke of York's Letter. TH HE conduct of the war, and the breach of treaty with refpect to the convention of El-Arifh, underwent a fevere fcrutiny in the courfe of the feffion. The firft fignal for the attack of minifters was founded in the houfe of lords by the earl of Darnley, who, very early in the fellion, gave notice of a motion for an inquiry into the ftate of the nation. On the 10th of February the fubject was preffed by the earl of Radnor, who moved that the houfe fhould be called over on Friday the 20th, as the prefent was an awful crifis, and lord Darnley was to bring forward an important inquiry into the ftate of the nation and conduct of the minifters. Lord Grenville faid it was very unusual to require fuch a measure unless in very particular cafes, as the trial of a peer; and therefore he hoped his noble friend would not perfift in à motion calculated to create alarm and difmay throughout the nation. In this he was feconded by lord Mulgrave, who thought it could anfwer no bene ficial purpofe to diffufe awe and folemnity on any common occafion, and excite needlefs apprehenfions in the minds of the people. Lord Holland ftrongly recommended the measure he conceived it abfolutely ncceffary; the fituation to which minifters had reduced the country could not be treated with too much folemnity; their difmiffal could not be confidered as an evil if the mode of their going out, and the caufes af figned for it, did not add to our embarrassments, and increase the neceffity of an inquiry. Had their difmiffal been occafioned by lofs of confidence in the parliament, or had it produced a change of fyftem, it would have been the greatest benefit and bleffing to the community; but they were abfolutely the victims of that very fyftem to which they had fo long prostituted their talents, and under the influence of which they had fupported the American war. The first moment minifters had hesitated refpecting the queftion of liberty, when they who had facrificed the happinefs of Ireland feemed difpofed to make a conceffion to the people, they were difcarded. The first appearance of the love of freedom, in one folitary inftance, cancelled all former obligations, and had raifed the indignation of this narrow-minded, cruel, and deftructive policy: Perjerunt tempora longi and they were difmiffed with the The earl of Clare deprecated the idea of a call, as well as a premature difcuffion of a fubject of fo delicate a nature, and at the fame time of fuch magnitude, that it ought not to be alluded to before it came regularly under confideration. With regard to catholic emancipation, he advised their lordships to make use of the opportunity which the union afforded, to inform themfelves of the nature and character of Ireland, with which they feemed but flightly acquainted. Catholic emancipation had already been found to imply rebellion in that country: ninety-nine Roman-catholics out of a hundred did not care about it; others understood it to mean the abolition of tythes, and a more equal divifion of property. The Irish peafant, for inftance, conceived, when this measure was granted, every one of them was to have his tythes taken off, and a grant of ten acres of land allotted him. In fhort, fo various were their opinions, and fo violent were their paffions, that he could not but fhudder at the confequences of rafhly diflufing infinuations upon : the fubject amongst them, and perhaps lighting up a flame which only more torrents of blood could quench. His lordship was enforcing his reafons, and ftating the agitation it would occafion--con-fufion much greater than had been yet experienced, and of which no adequate idea could be formed by thofe who were not intimately verfed in the character of the people-when he was called to order by the earl of Suffolk, who said, this appeared doing himself what his lordihip advifed others to avoid, and kindling the flame he had fo deprecated. The earl of Clare aniwered, that the question, though not before the house, had been alluded to in very ftrong terms; and he meant to point out the danger of difcuffion in this unparliamentary manner. He would however drop the subject, which he was perfuaded was fraught with infinite infinite mischiefs, and the agitation of which would prevent the advantages otherwife to be expect ed from the union. He was proceeding to illuftrate its evil effects, when lord Suffolk again interrupted, and begged the learned lord upon the woolfack to confine the noble earl to the queftion now before the house. The lord chancellor than entreated the earl of Clare to abftain from all mention of catholic emancipation, which had been fo irregularly introduced at the proper period it would be confidered in all its bearings and relations, comprehenfively, accurately, and difpaffionately, and with a ferioufnels proportioned to its importance. He lamented that an idea had been thrown out by lord Moira, that not any thing like the fenfe of the houfe was to be collected from the hafty and loofe conversation which had taken place. It would not be doing juftice to fuch a momentous concern to let an opinion prevail, that it could be affected by fuch flight and cafual obfervations, With regard to the critical fituation of the country, and the great lofs it had fuftained, no one deplored it more deeply than himself. Connected, as he long had been, by public duty and private friendship with thofe of whofe fervices the public were to be deprived, and knowing as he did their great abilities, their ftrict integrity, and their unremitted application, he extremely lamented that an occafion had arifen which made them feel they could no longer hold their employments. Subjects on which men of honourable minds would entertain a difference of opinion would occur under all governments. The partiality which he had ever experienced from the house, afforded him reasonable hope that they gave him credit for acting to the beft of his judgment, on the genuine conviction of his mind, wherever he ftood, and in whatever fituation he might be placed: indeed he could do no good to the public were he to act otherwife; nor fhould he be qualified to ftand at that great tribunal, before which he must in a fhort time, by the course of nature, expect to render up an account of all his actions in this fublunary state. Lord Moira thought it neceffary to rectify a mifapprehenfion refpecting himself. It was not, he faid, to the queftion of catholic emancipation he had alluded, when he remarked that the mind of the houfe had been fo ftrongly mani fefted that it must have an effect: his reference was to the impreffion concerning the fort of miniftry likely to be formed, and which infpired the country with dread, at a time fo critical and full of danger: the old miniftry was to be the root of the new one, and those principles to be continued which had reduced the country to this extremity. He hoped, therefore, that the fpirit of the house would be roufed; that they would act like men, and exert themselves in its defence. If they failed to do this, the ftorm impending could not be averted: their weight and authority over the people would be loft; an evil anxioufly to to be deprecated, because they could only render fervice to the interests of the empire whilft they retained it. A call of the houfe (except in the trial of a peer) was not unprecedented. There were feveral inftances upon the journals. Such a measure had not been indeed of late late years neceffary; but the prefent fituation of the country required references to old times, and fimilar cafes of difficulty and dan ger. The earl of Weftmorland faid, that, unless fome precedent from the journals could be stated, he wished the motion to be withdrawn. The earl of Radnor immediately produced four inftances in point, which he read from a paper on which he had written them down: three on record in the journals were about the year 1678, and the fourth in 1704. Contents 23-non-contents 54. His majefty's indifpofition, and fome other caufes, prevented the public bufinefs in general from proceeding for fome time after this motion, except with respect to the neceffary bufinefs of the fupplies; and confequently lord Darnley's motion was deferred. In the houfe of commons, however, an inquiry was proceeded upon which is of fome importance in an hiftorical point of view. On the 19th of February Mr. Sturt role to fubmit a motion to the house, which he said he trufted every member would feel it a duty to fupport. He meant not to hurt the feelings of the honourable general who had conducted the expedition, or of the honourable gentleman who planned it; but to contend, that when a vaft and expenfive armament had brought difgrace upon the country, an inquiry ought to be made into the caufes of its failure. He faid, that blame lay fomewhere, and with whom it was neceffary to ascertain. After having spent the fpring and fummer in total inactivity, an expedition, confifting of about eighty fail, fet off for the coaft of Spain. Eleven thousand men were landed at Ferrol, and afcended the heights above the town without refiftance. The official difpatches had ftated, that they had landed to infpect the ftrength of the place. But why employ 11,000 men for this? Would not 2000 or 200 have done as well? They met only with fkirmishes. Their fuccefs was complete. An officer of engineers affured the general that he would be mafter of the place in a few hours. In Fort St. Philip there were not more than fifty men, and it might have easily been taken. The 52d regiment wifhed alfo to take Grana, and would have done it, but that their colonel was wounded. In this place large arfenals and provifions would have been found; and, had they taken Fort St. Philip, the work would have been accomplifhed. Yet the troops lay idle on their arms.-What happened was difgraceful to the English name. After Bonaparte's march over the Alps, were a few rocks to be confidered as an infurmountable obstacle? He knew that great difference of opinion exifted among the officers concerning the orders to re-embark. The naval officers faid they could have taken moft of the forts themfelves, and entered the harbour without much refiftance. No wonder-the alarm in the town was extreme, and the municipality had refolved to furrender on the first fummons. It did appear ftrange that the honourable general had never fummoned them. He was not flow in doing fo at Cadiz, which he did not attack, and where he had no chance of fuccefs. He confeffed, however, that he was not fanguine as to the fuccefs of his motion. Yet, if the house regarded their duty to the officers of the army and |